Aaron’s Rod Buds

1IThen the LORD° spoke° to Moses°, saying°,
2 “Speak° to the sons° of Israel°, and get° from them a rod° for each father’s° household°: twelve°° rods°, from all° their leaders° according to their fathers’° households°. You shall write° each° name° on his rod°,
3 and write° Aaron’s° name° on the rod° of Levi°; for there is one° rod° for the head° [of each] of their fathers’° households°.
4 You shall then deposit° them in the tent° of meeting° in front° of athe testimony°, where°° I meet° with you.
5 It will come° about that the rod° of athe man° whom° I choose° will sprout°. Thus I will lessen° from upon Myself the grumblings° of the sons° of Israel°, who° are grumbling° against° you.”
6 Moses° therefore spoke° to the sons° of Israel°, and all° their leaders° gave° him a rod° apiece°, for each° leader° according to their fathers’° households°, twelve°° rods°, with the rod° of Aaron° among° their rods°.
7 So Moses° deposited° the rods° before° the LORD° in athe tent° of the testimony°.

8 ¶ Now on the next° day° Moses° went° into the tent° of the testimony°; and behold°, athe rod° of Aaron° for the house° of Levi° had sprouted° and put° forth° buds° and produced° blossoms°, and it bore° ripe° almonds°.
9 Moses° then brought° out all° the rods° from the presence° of the LORD° to all° the sons° of Israel°; and they looked°, and each° man° took° his rod°.
10 But the LORD° said° to Moses°, “Put° back° the rod° of Aaron°abefore° the testimony°Ito be kept° as a sign° against the IIbrebels°, that you may put° an end° to their grumblings° against°° Me, so that they will not die°.”
11 Thus Moses° did°; just° as the LORD° had commanded° him, so° he did°.

12 ¶ Then the sons° of Israel° spoke° to Moses°, saying°, “aBehold°, we perish°, we are dying°, we are all° dying°!
13aEveryone° who comes° near°, who comes° near° to the tabernacle° of the LORD°, must die°. Are we to perish° completely°?”

Aaron's rod among all the rods of the tribes only flourisheth.

1 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Moses,º saying,ºª2 Speakºª unto² the childrenº of Israel,º and takeºª of²² every one of them a rodº according to the houseº of [their] fathers,º of²² all² their princesº according to the houseº of their fathersº twelveºº rods:º writeºª thou² every man'sº nameº upon² his rod.º3 And thou shalt writeºª Aaron'sº nameº upon² the rodº of Levi:º for² oneº rodº [shall be] for the headº of the houseº of their fathers.º4 And thou shalt lay them up¹ª² in the tabernacleº of the congregationº beforeº the testimony,º where²² I will meetºª with you. 5 And it shall come to pass,² [that] the man'sº rod,º whom² I shall choose,ºª shall blossom:ºª and I will make to ceaseºª from²² me² the murmuringsº of the childrenº of Israel,º whereby² they² murmurºª against² you.

6 ¶ And Mosesº spakeºª unto² the childrenº of Israel,º and every one² of their princesº gaveºª² him a rodº apiece,²²² for each princeº one,º according to their fathers'º houses,º [even] twelveºº rods:º and the rodº of Aaronº [was] amongº their rods.º7 And Mosesº laid up¹ª²² the rodsº beforeº the LORDº in the tabernacleº of witness.º8 And it came to pass,² that on the morrowº² Mosesº wentºª into² the tabernacleº of witness;º and, behold,² the rodº of Aaronº for the houseº of Leviº was budded,ºª and brought forthºª buds,º and bloomedºª blossoms,º and yieldedºª almonds.º9 And Mosesº brought outºª² all² the rodsº from beforeº² the LORDº unto² all² the childrenº of Israel:º and they looked,ºª and tookºª every manº his rod.º

It is left for a monument against the rebels.

10 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Moses,º Bringºª² Aaron'sº rodº again¹ª beforeº the testimony,º to be keptº for a tokenº against the rebels;ºº and thou shalt quite take awayºª their murmuringsº from²² me, that they dieºª not.²11 And Mosesº didºª [so]: as² the LORDº commandedºª him, so² didºª he. 12 And the childrenº of Israelº spakeºª unto² Moses,º saying,ºª Behold,² we die,ºª we perish,ºª we all² perish.ºª13 Whosoever² cometh any thing nearº unto² the tabernacleº of the LORDº shall die:ºª shall we be consumedºª with dying?ºª